Screening for type 2 diabetes and population mortality over 10 years

摘要

The study by Rebecca Simmons and colleagues (Nov 17, p 1741)1 is interpreted as showing little or no mortality benefit from screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus in general practices in eastern England. In our view the results should be treated with caution because they depend on low patient numbers and notoriously unreliable death certification as a means of identifying cause of death.